Contemporary African-American Problems
Library and Internet Resources
A Guide for PLS 428/628


Prepared by Karen Kimber, Social Sciences and Humanitites Team Leader
September 2008

Background Information

• Reference Universe - Find information in encyclopedias and other reference books, online or in Dunbar Library.

• The African American Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. 10 vols. Ref E185.A253 2001
• African-American Social Leaders and Activists. Ref E185.96 .R88 2003
• Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. 2nd ed. Ref DT14.A37435 2005
• Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History [electronic book] 2nd ed. (2006)
• Encyclopedia of African-American Politics, by Robert C. Smith. Ref E185.S58155 2003
• Encyclopedia of African-American Society [electronic book] (2006)
  Print vols. also available. 2 vols. Ref E185.E546 2005
• The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American Civil Rights : From Emancipation to the Twenty-first Century. 2 vols. Ref E185.61 .E54 2003
• Organizing Black America: An Encyclopedia of African American Associations. Ref E 185.5.O74 2001
• Reference Library of Black America. 5 vols. Ref E185.R44 2000

Statistics

• Black Americans: A Statistics Sourcebook. Latest (2007) in Ref E185.5 .B512 (earlier eds. on 3rd floor)
• Black Population in the United States - reports from the Census Bureau
  Printed copies also available: Docs C 3.205/8-2:
• Statistical Record of Black America. Ref E185.5 .S83 1990 - older data

Finding Books in the Library Catalog

You can search for keywords, that is, words found anywhere in the description of a book (often including the table of contents). Example:

• african american* and politic* - Use the asterisk (*) to find words with alternate endings (up to 5 letters)

Each book is also assigned standardized subject headings. When you find a record for a book that interests you, you can find similar books by clicking on any highlighted subject listed in the book's record.

Here are some subject headings that may be useful:

• African American Families
• African American Leadership
• African Americans -- Civil Rights
• African Americans -- Economic Conditions
• African Americans --Health and Hygiene
• African Americans -- Politics and Government
• African Americans -- Social Conditions
• United States -- Race Relations

If books you need are not available in the WSU Libraries, click on OhioLINK Central on your search page to connect to the OhioLINK network, and request books there.

Finding Periodical and Newspaper Articles

*Find It! means that you can click to find information on an article's availability online or in print at the WSU libraries or OhioLINK.